Pulley Screws

[georgeb]

I had to do an unscheduled timing belt change yesterday because my belt was ripped by a stone that fell into the open lower cover. The rip just happened to be up top or else I wouldn't even have known about it. My question is, are the two lower-pulley phillips screws necessary? I worry about them getting boogered and impossible to remove. I left them out.

[htchbck]

They are not necessary, they just kinda help hold things together while you are working on threading the 10mm bolts. As long as all four 10mm bolts are ok you should be good to go. FWIW I don't think the later ('93+ big nose) engines even had those phillips screws at all.

[zoom zoom]

^they did not

[denguy]

Wow, stone got in the works. Were you driving? Never thought of that one. We left the covers off one of ours, guess they will be going back on.

[blkfordsedan]

I never could understand the advantage of leaving the timing covers off OHC engines, unless you have an adjustable cam sprocket and do regular cam timing changes in a true racing application. All it takes is a rock or smal screw or bolt to fall into the belt and really mess things up (not to mension a finger!).

[georgeb]

I found a quarter-inch sized stone in there. That's about the size of the gap between the belt and the aluminum below it. I never worried about stones. I guess I'll put the cover on.

[Movin]

Don't ever get around rocks..these are road cars...lol
The belts last longer running cooler, take it all off!
Bottom too, inside...

[georgeb]

The bottom cover is off one of mine as well as the top. Looks cool.

[Bert]

I've had the pulleys off one of my 93s to do a timing belt and I don't recall coming across Phillips screws anywhere. In your case they're probably similar idea to the 2 'hold-down' screws that keep Aspire rotors in place while you remove calipers or change a tire.